ADDRESS TO SPORTS FUNCTION SYDNEY 23 NOVEMBER 1984
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,
IT IS WITH SPECIAL PRIDE THAT I AM HERE TODAY WITH YOU
TO CELEBRATE OUR ACHIEVEMENTS IN SPORT. I HAVE
DELIBERATELY USED THE WORD " OUR" BECAUSE I SEE THE
PROGRESS WE ARE MAKING IN SPORT AS VERY MUCH THE OUTCOME
OF A PARTNERSHIP A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE SPORTING
COMMUNITY AND THE GOVERNMENT.
WE ARE PRIVILEGED TO BE PLAYING OUR PART IN THAT
PARTNERSHIP FOR THE BENEFIT OF ALL AUSTRALIANS WHETHER
THEY BE THE " WEEKEND SPORTSPERSON" OR WHETHER THEY BE
ONE OF OUR HIGH PERFORMANCE ATHLETES PURSUING EXCELLENCE
IN THE SPORTING ARENAS OF THE WORLD.
SPORT MAKES AN ENORMOUS CONTRIBUTION TO OUR SOCIETY.
IT IS SUCH AN INTRICATE PART OF HOW WE, As AUSTRALIANS,
EXPRESS OURSELVES AS A NATION THAT IT WOULD BE DERILICT
OF ANY FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO ABROGATE ITS RESPONSIBILITIES
IN THIS AREA. e o / 2 a
I HAVE COME HERE TODAY TO ANNOUNCE SPECIFIC
PROPOSALS WHICH I AM CONFIDENT WILL BE OF SIGNIFICANT
BENEFIT TO OUR SPORTSMEN AND WOMEN IN THE YEARS AHEAD.
I REFER SPECIFICALLY TO PROPOSALS TO ASSIST OUR ELITE
SPORTSPEOPLE AND THEIR COACHES,
BUT BEFORE I GIVE YOU THE DETAILS OF THESE
INITIATIVES ALLOW ME TO TAKE A LITTLE OF YOUR TIME TO
PAY SPECIAL TRIBUTE TO JOHN BROWN, MY MINISTER FOR SPORT,
RECREATION AND TOURISM.
OVER THE PAST 18 MONTHS JOHN HAS MADE GIANT STRIDES IN
IDENTIFYING THE SPECIAL PROBLEMS CONFRONTING OUR
SPORTSPEOPLE AND IN ESTABLISHING THE ENVIRONMENT IN
WHICH THESE PROBLEMS CAN BE OVERCOME.
Two MONTHS AGO JOHN AND I ANNOUNCED THE ESTABLISHMENT
OF THE AUSTRALIAN SPORTS COMMISSION AN INITIATIVE
WHICH I CAN NOW TELL YOU JOHN BROWN HAS BEEN WORKING ON
FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS. THE SPORTS COMMISSION WILL
PROVIDE THE GOVERNMENT WITH A DIRECT LINK WITH THE
SPORTING COMMUNITY. IT HAS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF
CO-ORDINATING OUR NATIONAL SPORTS EFFORT AND OF ADVISING
THE GOVERNMENT ON THE BEST USE OF AVAILABLE RESOURCES. / 13 S
INCLUDED WITHIN ITS CHARTER, THE COMMISSION WILL SEEK
TO MAXIMISE FUNDING FOR SPORT FROM THE PRIVATE SECTOR
TO SUPPLEMENT FUNDS FROM THE FEDERAL BUDGET. IT WILL
DO THIS THROUGH THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A SPORTS AID
FOUNDATION WHICH WILL BE INCLUDED AS PART OF THE
AUSTRALIAN SPORTS COMMISSION BILL TO BE INTRODUCED
IN THE FIRST SESSION OF THE NEW PARLIAMENT NEXT YEAR.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO A CONTINUING AND PROSPEROUS
PARTNERSHIP WITH SPORT.
NOW LET ME RETURN TO THE SPECIFIC INITIATIVES I
WANT TO ANNOUNCE TODAY. INITIATIVES WHICH
FOLLOW ON FROM MY ANNOUNCEMENT IN MY POLICY SPEECH
LAST WEEK IN WHICH I PROMISED TO EXTEND TAX AVERAGING
TO SPORTSMEN AND WOMEN WHOSE INCOME FLUCTUATES WIDELY
WITHIN RELATIVELY SHORT CAREERS.
OUR IMPORTANT OBJECTIVE AS A GOVERNMENT IS TO CREATE
A HEALTHIER AND HAPPIER SOCIETY AND SPORT IS AN ACTIVITY
WHICH WILL HELP US ACHIEVE THIS GREAT OBJECTIVE. IT IS
ALSO OUR GOAL TO CREATE THE ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH THE
TALENTS OF OUR PEOPLE CAN BE FULLY DEVELOPED FOR THE JOY
AND FULFILMENT OF US ALL. a ./ 14@
UNDER PRESENT TAX DEDUCTABILITY ARRANGEMENTS, SPORT
IS DISCRIMINATED AGAINST COMPARED WITH OTHER AREAS
OF LEISURE ACTIVITIES SUCH AS THE ARTS. AT PRESENT,
MAJOR SPORTS SPONSORS CAN CLAIM ADVERTISING COSTS AS
DEDUCTIBLE TAX CONCESSIONS WHEN THEY RELATE TO SPORTS
PROMOTION BUT INDIVIDUALS WHO MAY WISH TO PROMOTE
AUSTRALIAN SPORT AND SUCH INDIVIDUAL ENDEAVOURS AS
AMERCIA'S CUP CHALLENGES AND OTHER MAJOR SPORTING
EVENTS CAN CLAIM NO SUCH DEDUCTION.
THE PROVISION OF TAX DEDUCTABILITY WOULD ALSO BE
IMPORTANT FOR THE SUCCESS OF THE PROPOSED SPORTS AID
FOUNDATION. IT IS IMPORTANT THAT SUFFICIENTLY ATTRACTIVE
INCENTIVES ARE MADE AVAILABLE TO MAXIMISE DONATIONS FROM
INDIVIDUALS AND CORPORATIONS ALL OF WHICH ARE VITAL
PARTNERS WITH GOVERNMENT IN THE AUSTRALIAN SPORTING " TEAM".
I UNDERTAKE THEREFORE TO GIVE FAVOURABLE CONSIDERATION
NEXT YEAR TO SUCH A MOVE. / 5 S
I NOW TURN TO OUR NEW SPORTS TALENT PLAN. THIS PLAN
WILL INVOLVE, THROUGH THE AID FOUNDATION WHEN ESTABLISHED,
BOTH PRIVATE AND PUBLIC SECTORS IN ASSISTING OUR
ATHLETES IN ALL SPORTS TO COMPETE AGAINST THEIR PEERS IN
EUROPE, ASIA AND AMERICA.
IT HAS APPALLED ME THAT OVER THE YEARS AUSTRALIA'S HIGH
PERFORMANCE ATHLETES -AND COACHES HAVE BEEN TREATED SO
SHABBILY BY COALITION GOVERNMENTS. SPORTSMEN AND WOMEN,
THROUGH THEIR DEDICATION AND SHEER HARD WORK, HAVE BEEN
GREAT AMBASSADORS FOR THIS COUNTRY AND HAVE BEEN GREAT
MORALE BOOSTERS AT HOME. IT IS SIMPLY UNFAIR AND UNJUST
FOR GOVERNMENTS TO UNDERESTIMATE AND HENCE UNDERVALUE
THE ROLE PLAYED BY OUR SPORTING COMMUNITY IN THE PROJECTION
OF OUR IMAGE AND PRESTIGE OVERSEAS AND IN THE FOCUS THEY
PROVIDE FOR NATIONAL PRIDE AND NATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT-AT
HOME. IT IS DISGRACEFUL THAT WE CAN BENEFIT SO GREATLY AS A
NATION THROUGH THE EFFORTS OF OUR SPORTSPEOPLE AND YET
TAKE NO ACTION TO ALLEVIATE SOME OF THE GREAT FINANCIAL
HARDSHIPS SUFFERED BY THE SAME HEROES AND HEROINES.
My GOVERNMENT WILL ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM THROUGH THE
SPORTS TALENT PLAN TO BE ADMINISTERED BY THE AUSTRALIAN
SPORTS COMMISSION. v s / 6
FOR TOO LONG AUSTRALIAN SPORTSPEOPLE HAVE SUFFERED
FROM LACK OF REGULAR INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION AND
LACK OF FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO PURSUE THEIR SPORTING
CAREERS. THEY HAVE ALSO SUFFERED FROM THE LACK OF
QUALIFIED AND EXPERIENCED COACHES WHO ARE ABLE TO
DEVOTE SUFFICIENT TIME TO THEIR ATHLETES. INADEQUATE
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO ATHLETES AND COACHES IS
PROBABLY THE GREATEST SINGLE PROBLEM PRESENTLY
CONFRONTING AUSTRALIAN SPORT. IT HAS LED TO THE
DEPLORABLE SITUATION WHERE TOP CLASS ATHLETES HAVE
BEEN FORCED ON THE DOLE IN ORDER TO EXIST WHILE THEY
TRAIN TO REPRESENT THEIR COUNTRY AGAINST THE BEST IN
THE WORLD.
IT IS PATENTLY UNFAIR FOR US TO CELEBRATE THE VICTORIES
AND PERFORMANCES OF OUR ATHLETES WHO DO SO WELL AT
THE Los ANGELES OLYMPICS AND THEN IGNORE THEM UNTIL
THE NEXT INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION. WE HAVE AN OBLIGATION
TO ENSURE THAT EXCELLENCE IN ALL AREAS OF AUSTRALIAN
LIFE IS ENCOURAGED AND THAT THE ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH
EXCELLENCE CAN DEVELOP IS CREATED. IT IS THEREFORE
PARAMOUNT THAT WE GIVE OUR ATHLETES THE OPPORTUNITY
TO COMPETE ON AN EQUAL BASIS WITH THEIR INTERNATIONAL
COUNTERPARTS. 17.
AUSTRALIA'S WORLD RANKED ATHLETES AND EMERGING
TALENT HAVE RECEIVED SOME VALUABLE, ALBEIT, LIMITED
ASSISTANCE UNDER THE PRESENT NATIONAL ATHLETE AWARD
SCHEME ADMINISTERED BY THE AUSTRALIAN SPORTS COMMISSION,
THE SCHEME HAS SERVED A USEFUL PURPOSE OVER THE YEARS
BUT HAS BEEN UNABLE TO MEET OVERALL REQUIREMENTS IN
SUCH A CRITICAL AREA OF SPORT,
THE SPORTS TALENT PLAN WILL BUILD ON THIS EXISTING
FRAMEWORK AND WILL EXPAND THE PROGRAM OF ASSISTANCE
TO WORLD-RANKED ATHLETES, POTENTIAL SPORT STARS AND
TOP RANKED COACHES,
IN THE FIRST YEAR ( 1985/ 86) AN ESTIMATED 400 ATHLETES,
INCLUDING INDIVIDUALS AND TEAMS, AND UP TO 20 COACHES
WILL BE ASSISTED, GRANTS TO INDIVIDUAL ATHLETES AND
TEAM MEMBERS WILL BE TO A MAXIMUM OF $ 10,000 EACH
WHILE THOSE TO TOP COACHES WILL BE TO A MAXIMUM OF
$ 20,000 IT IS ESTIMATED THAT THE FIRST YEAR COST
OF THE PLAN WILL BE $ 3.5 MILLION.
I ANTICIPATE THAT WHEN THE AUSTRALIAN SPORTS AID
FOUNDATION IS PROPERLY FUNCTIONAL NEXT YEAR THAT THE
PRIVATE SECTOR WILL BE ABLE TO SHARE INVOLVEMENT IN
THIS PLAN WITH THE GOVERNMENT TO ASSIST AUSTRALIA'S
ATHLETES AND COACHES TO SINGLE-MINDEDLY PURSUE THEIR
SPORTING CAREERS, SECURE IN THE KNOWLEDGE THAT THEIR
FAMILIES WILL NOT SUFFER FINANCIALLY, e e / 8e
8.
THE LAST 18 MONTHS HAVE BEEN CHARACTERISED BY GREAT
ADVANCEMENT IN SPORT BROUGHT ABOUT LARGELY THROUGH
THE ENERGY AND ENTHUSIASM OF JOHN BROWN, BUT, LADIES
AND GENTLEMEN, THE GREAT CHALLENGES ARE STILL AHEAD
OF US AND I KNOW THAT THE COMBINED WILL AND COMMON
SENSE OF BOTH GOVERNMENT AND THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE
WILL ENSURE THAT THOSE CHALLENGES ARE MET,